Shopping for gifts for college students can be tricky; whether you’re a family member, friend, or roommate, finding the perfect present to add a little bit of luxury to the college experience without spending an arm and a leg is hard work! Luckily, your favorite hip, fresh-outta-college blogger (that’s me) is here to help. These seven gift ideas are all college-kid approved and under $50! You’re welcome.
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A Swell Water Bottle
Everyone knows that living a healthy lifestyle in college is a challenge. Unhealthy cafeteria food, a limited grocery budget, and almost NO free time to cook can make it hard to fuel your body adequately. One issue I ran into when I was in school was dehydration. I often didn’t have time to go back to my dorm to get a glass of water between classes and school water fountains are nasty. Vacuum-sealed stainless steel water bottles are the perfect solution to this problem! I’m a big fan of this marble one. This is one of those things that a student will rarely spend the money on to buy themselves, but it will make a drastic improvement to their quality of life!
A Really Nice Planner
I am a HUGE fan of the Passion Planner. After getting one in my goody bag at Beautycon, I immediately fell in love with their format and style. I did a full review of the planner in this video, but I’ll give you the highlights: this planner comes in a special “academic” version for college students, as well as a general version for anyone and everyone! One of my favorite things about these is that they’re organized by time- each hour of each day has a separate line, which was perfect for scheduling classes, work, and social events. It also has sections to set your daily and weekly intentions, as well as space for monthly reflections and its own method of setting and achieving goals. It’s basically the perfect blend between a traditional planner and a bullet journal. Plus, how cool do they look?
Use code MEGANA10 for 10% off until the end of the year!
A Gift Card (Preferably for Food)
There is NO better feeling for a college student than being broke and then remembering you have a gift card for your favorite food. Amazon, Taco Bell, In ‘N Out, and Trader Joe’s are some favorites, but you can never go wrong with a prepaid Mastercard or Visa. My freshman roommate’s parents always used to do this at Christmas and we were always SO jealous.
A 10-foot iPhone Charging Cable
This will change their life. Seriously. Looking up sources for papers, answering e-mails on the go, or (more realistically) watching Netflix in bed are SO much easier when you’re not tethered closely to an outlet. iPhone cords are ALWAYS breaking (thanks, Apple) so I would opt for this 3-pack.
This Book That Will Help Them Figure Out What to Do With Their Life
This Party Game for the Digital Age
A Bluetooth Speaker
What was/is you favorite gift to receive as a starving student? Let me know in the comments down below!
Planners and water bottles are perfect! Those were definitely staples throughout my college years
Yesss! Gotta keep organized and hydrated!
Great list! I like that all products are under $50.. just helps when trying to stay on somewhat of a budget! Love the water bottle. People underestimate the greatness of a new, quality water bottle! 🙂
Right? When I got one it seriously changed my life.
These gifts are perfect!! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading! So glad you enjoyed!
I’m definitely getting that bluetooth speaker for my sister-In-law! I was wrecking my brain trying to figure out, but your gift guide helped!
Yay, I’m so glad! It’s a great speaker for its price!
My sister is a junior and would love that marble water bottle!
It’s so gorgeous!!!
The Planner and gift card are a hit in our household. College kids always need a little extra cash flow.
Amen to that! And fast food is such a treat when you’re a broke college student XD